Defrocked Armenian cleric withdrew 15 million drams from diocese accounts, lawyer says

Panorama.am

Armenian lawyer Ara Zohrabyan on Monday accused defrocked cleric Arman Saroyan of unlawfully withdrawing more than 15 million drams ($39,000) from diocesan bank accounts despite lacking legal authority to manage them.

Speaking at a news conference, Zohrabyan said judge Edgar Hovhannisyan, who also serves as a member of Armenia’s Supreme Judicial Council, had repeatedly demonstrated bias in favor of Saroyan by upholding interim court measures that allowed him continued access to the accounts of the Masyatsotn (Masis) Diocese.

“The court has created a very serious situation for the Armenian Apostolic Church,” Zohrabyan said. “Arman Saroyan, who is no longer a cleric and has been defrocked, is carrying out banking transactions on the basis of a court ruling and what we consider an arbitrary interpretation by the law enforcement officer.”

Saroyan was removed from his post as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese by a decree of Catholicos Karekin II. According to Zohrabyan, the church leader also terminated Saroyan’s banking authority following his dismissal.

However, Saroyan later challenged his removal in court. Zohrabyan said the court granted interim relief prohibiting the Armenian Apostolic Church and related parties from taking actions that could obstruct Saroyan’s exercise of authority as diocesan leader, including access to financial accounts.

Zohrabyan criticized Armenia’s Compulsory Enforcement Service, alleging it had acted improperly and effectively served Saroyan’s personal interests during the dispute.

“The enforcement officers have acted as though they are Saroyan’s personal employees,” he said, accusing them of sending threatening letters to clergy members and representatives of the diocese, including acting diocesan administrator Fr. Ruben Vardapet Zargaryan.

According to Zohrabyan, law enforcement authorities empowered Saroyan to conduct banking operations despite the church’s decision to revoke his authority, a move he said exceeded their legal powers.

“As of April 1, more than 15 million drams had already been withdrawn from the accounts,” Zohrabyan said. “Significant sums remain in those accounts and we are concerned the funds could be depleted.”

He added that requests to lift the interim court measures had been rejected.